1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a hydrodynamic clutch, particularly a torque converter, having an impeller wheel connected to a drive element so as to be fixed with respect to rotation relative to it which drive element can be connected to a drive shaft so as to be fixed with respect to rotation relative to it. A turbine wheel can be driven hydrodynamically by the impeller wheel, and the turbine wheel is connected, directly or by means of a torsional vibration damper, to a driven shaft so as to be fixed with respect to rotation relative to it. The turbine wheel can be coupled to the impeller wheel by means of a lockup clutch, an actuation piston is associated with the lockup clutch, the driven shaft is constructed as a hollow shaft, and the actuation piston can be acted upon by hydraulic fluid by means of the driven shaft and a hub part. The hydraulic fluid is in operative connection with a piston space adjoining the actuation piston via a plurality of fluid channels outside of the driven shaft, and the fluid channels extend substantially axially in a an inner portion. Every fluid channel in the inner portion is surrounded on the radial outer side by the hub part.
2. Description of the Related Art
A torque converter of the type mentioned above is known, for example, from U.S. Pat. No. 6,290,041. In this torque converter, the hub part comprises two components, between which are formed the fluid channels.
This construction is already quite advantageous, but is still capable of improvement. In particular, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,290,041 it is required either to stamp out the two parts, as such, in a suitable manner—e.g., by forging—or to press an adapter or adjusting piece into one of the two parts. Both production methods are comparatively uneconomical.